V O L . 17 N O . 44 Buy StreetWise only from a badged vendor
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H E L P P E O P L E H E L P T H E M S E LV E S TO S E L F - S U F F I C I E N C Y T H R O U G H G A I N F U L E M P L OY M E N T
Volunteers make our vendors’ day By Bruce Crane Executive Director
olunteering at StreetWise can take many forms. We had a wonderful experience this past weekend where a group came in and worked for three hours. The group is a collection of young doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other medical professionals who have in common that they each have received a grant to use their skills and bring them to underserved communities throughout the world from the Albert Schweitzer Foundation. I learned that this group of prior Fellowship recipients hold an annual conference. This year the conference was held in Chicago, and they added to the program a local service component. Thankfully, they chose StreetWise as one of the agencies to perform a service project. What a wonder it was to see these young professionals pitching in to make life better for our StreetWise vendors. They planned and executed three activities. First, all the conference attendees were asked to bring to the conference toiletries and clothing to donate. They came with bags and bags of toiletries and two car loads of clothing. Second, they built and installed counters in each of our four restrooms. Now the vendors have a place to put their belongings and personal items down as they
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use the facilities and clean up in our restrooms. Third, they planned a menu, shopped, and prepared a luncheon for our vendors. They prepared a full meal for all of our vendors to enjoy. It was a joy to work with these volunteers, and a bigger joyto see the reaction of our vendors to their generosity. We would welcome groups to volunteer at StreetWise in a similar way. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a group picked a day and prepared lunch for our vendors? Wouldn’t it be even better if many groups did likewise? I can envision it now, where we might actually need a calendar to schedule these lunches to find available days! StreetWise has provided food to our vendors and their families on a sporadic basis, primarily for the holidays, our recent annual picnic, or when we have donated food. However we could do so much more. We have the donated refrigerators to store food, ways to heat it, space to serve it from, and finally, chairs and tables to eat at. All we need now is volunteer groups to help us make it happen. Do you have a business, religious, or service group? Do you have a bunch of friends that want to get together to make a meaningful difference? If so, please contact me, or our volunteer coordinator, Whitney St. Pierre, at whstpierre@gmail.com. What the Schweitzer Fellows Program did this weekend was wonderful. Do you know a group who can follow their lead and take StreetWise’s meal program to the next level?
STREETWISE STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER BRUCE CRANE BCRANE@STREETWISE.ORG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SUZANNE HANNEY SUZANNESTREETWISE@YAHOO.COM DIRECTOR OF DISTRIBUTION GREG PRITCHETT GPRITCHETT14@YAHOO.COM
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WorldWise Turning Junk Mail into Art
Chicago-based artist Barbara Hashimoto takes the bane of modern communication: junk mail, shreds it, and turns it into art displayed worldwide. page
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Andersonville Something for Everyone Andersonville started out as an isolated Swedish community, but has morphed into one of the most culturally diverse, distinct and accepting places to eat, shop and live in Chicago.
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Overcoming Domestic Violence A survivor of domestic violence— now in stable housing—tells her story. Also: identifying abuse, new legislation and other resources for potentially homeless victims of abuse. p a g e
Vendor Photo Essay Vendor visits San Francisco StreetWise vendor Robert Qualls recently returned from his first vacation in 20 years— a vacation made possible through his customer’s support.
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Volunteer Chicago
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From the Streets:
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
A First Amendment right? One street artist thinks so By Suzanne Hanney Editor-in-Chief
hicago artist Christopher Drew, also known as C. Drew, celebrated his 59th birthday on October 9 by protesting Chicago’s peddler’s license law, which extends to artists and therefore places unconstitutional restrictions on their ability to sell their work in public, he said. Drew’s protest consisted of selling art in front of the Art Institute of Chicago from noon to 1 p.m. Artists should be able to sell their work without a permit and at no cost to themselves on the streets and in the parks of Chicago, Drew said in a phone interview, because of their constitutionally protected right to freedom of speech. “The peddler’s license is made for selling umbrellas and incense, not First Amendment-protected work,” he said.“Lumping artists in with peddlers is like putting apples and oranges together and writing a law for oranges. Apples in this case are the First Amendment, oranges are everybody else. Apples are the artists and they have a right. [But] with peddlers you have a privilege—it’s a privilege to sell your stuff, like a driver’s license.” Chicago’s peddler’s license regulations list three pages of restricted districts, Drew said, including anywhere in the Loop, near McCormick Place, several places on the South Side, a stretch of Milwaukee Avenue, and the 47th and 50th wards. He says federal courts have recognized that freedom of speech is limited if artists are forced to work other jobs just to get by due to the fact that they’re unable to sell their art. New York City has the broadest First Amendment protections thanks to artists’ lawsuits, Drew said, and he wants Chicago to follow suit. “The homeless in Chicago have won their First Amendment right to ask for money in public,” he continued. “However, because artists have not fought for similar rights in Chicago, a homeless artist can ask you for a dollar but he can’t sell you
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a portrait of yourself for a dollar. There are no open-air art scenes in Chicago where artists can survive or make a living selling their art in public. This is an outrageous violation of our First Amendment rights.” The global economic crisis has reinforced the informal economy of street peddlers all over the world, wrote attorney Sean Basinski, director of New York City’s Street Vendor Project at the Urban Justice Center, on The New York Times’s City Room blog. Even countries like China are accommodating peddlers. New York City’s Lower East Side has been a traditional home for peddlers, who are restricted from many business districts, Basinski noted. He urged support of the peddlers because they’re “emblematic” of New York:“They reflect our city’s mix of immigrant cultures, our tradition of selfmade strivers and our respect for shared public space and the interactions that go on there.” However, the waiting list for peddler’s licenses in New York has been closed since 1992. Under the First Amendment, artists may sell books, magazines, records, CDs, DVDs, political items, and art (paintings, sculpture, etc.) without a license. This contributes to a lively art scene and gives emerging artists a chance, Basinski said. The problem lies in defining “acceptable” art; an appeals court ruled that the dominant purpose of the art in question must be “expressive” rather than “commercial.” However, many artists still call the Street Vendor Project’s office and ask if they’re allowed to sell finger puppets or jewelry. Basinski wrote that there is no process for pre-approval; he thinks City Council should draft better guidelines. Drew is the founder of Chicago’s Uptown MultiCultural Art Center (UM-CAC), a 501(c)(3) located at the American Indian Center, and has managed it for over 20 years. The nonprofit agency teaches screen-printing to artists and hosts an annual exhibit called “The Art of the T-Shirt.” W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G
Drew is a full-time volunteer at the UM-CAC, but he has low-paying part-time jobs—office work, fixing computers—in order to make ends meet, because “city laws and policies make it too difficult for me to sell my art in public in Chicago.” “When artists gain their full speech rights to sell art in public, we will create art scenes that will attract more artists to Chicago, and the city’s cultural life will expand, giving Chicago a healthier economy, greater respect on the world stage, and make life in Chicago more interesting,” Drew claims. He seeks to generate serious discussion about the rights of visual artists, musicians, and performing artists and to change the laws that reduce their presence in public. Toward that end he’s created the Art Patch Project, which teaches the basics of screen-printing in workshops at the American Indian Center and passes out limited-edition patches for free wherever it’s illegal to sell art in Chicago. He’s also created the Free Speech Artists’ Movement Web page (art-teez.org/freespeech.htm), where he invites the public to sign a petition. So far it’s attracted 700 positive responses, Drew said, and those who signed it now receive regular e-mail blasts.The public can also comment on his blog entries at c-drew.com/blog.
Contributing Writers Ginny & the Chef: Originally a professional chef, Chef J now writes a syndicated weekly column on food and fitness in Chicago. He’s also the president of the Chicago Research Chefs LLC and president emeritus of the Chicago Nutrition Association. Ginny has written nutrition and fitness articles for several local and national publications, such as the Chicago Tribune and OnHealth magazine. She has a bachelor’s degree in nutrition science and dietetics and a master’s degree in nutrition communications and marketing. Helen Kiernan is chief editor of Elephant 'zine (www.elephantzine.weebly.com) and received a bachelor's degree in poetry from Columbia College, Chicago. Stephanie Taylor graduated from Columbia College Chicago, where she earned a degree in Magazine Journalism. Her work has been seen in the campus newspaper, The Columbia Chronicle. She also wrote for Chicagoland Tails pet magazine, where she interned. Soon she will begin writing for an upcoming art magazine called Upsurge.
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International Network of Street Papers: Street News Service
WorldWise Turning junk mail into Art By Alecia D. McKenzie Courtesy of Inter Press Service
Where to see it:
ARIS, France — Like everyone else, Barbara Dubhe Carreño Gallery 118 North Peoria Street, Second Floor Hashimoto hated the junk mail coming in West Loop, Chicago, Illinois through the door—until one day she 312.666.3150 decided it could be transformed into art, with lessons about the environment. Through November 7, 2009 Hashimoto, a U.S.-born, Japanese-trained artist, has created “The Junk Mail Experiment,” in which huge quantities of unsolicited advertising mail are shredded and converted into temporary installation art and, eventually, sculptures. The ”experiment” is currently on view in Paris and Chicago. “I was working in a firm and was amazed at how much junk mail we received,” says Hashimoto, a slim, dark-haired woman who speaks passionately about her work. “When I read the incredible statistics, it inspired me as an artist to do something visual that could also teach people about what we’re doing to nature,” she told Inter Press Service while taking a break from crafting her installation. According to the environmental group ForestEthics, nearly 100 billion pieces of junk mail are sent out each year in the United States framed pages from catalogs, using the strips of alone, accounting for a third of all the mail deliv- paper to form intricate designs. These works ered globally. Nearly half that amount is thrown resemble some of the early ceramic pieces for out unopened or unread, adding to the trash which she initially became known as an artist. heap, although some of it’s recycled. In addition, she’s dyed and painted pieces of The group estimates that about 100 million plastic sent by credit-card solicitation companies trees are used annually in the production of junk and turned them into artworks with titles such as mail in the U.S. The toll on the environment “This Is Not an Actual Credit Card.” In the U.S., includes emission of greenhouse gases in the millions of credit-card solicitations are mailed manufacturing of the mail. However, the advan- each month, and most of the plastic that’s used tage for business is that direct-mail advertising ends up in landfills, according to environmental generates about $646 billion a year in sales in the groups. U.S. alone. In France, the organization Les Amis de la Hashimoto, 54, said she began the Junk Mail Terre—Paris (Friends of the Earth) is working Experiment in 2006. She asked the staff at the with Hashimoto to get the message out about the Chicago architecture firm BauerLatoza Studio, global impact of junk mail, providing volunteers where she was artist-in-resto help shred the mountain idence, to set aside all of mail that approximately advertising mail they The genesis of The Junk Mail 100 local schoolchildren received; within a year Experiment was inspired by a collected for the project. she’d collected some 3,000 number of mind-boggling statistics: “We proposed the idea of cubic feet of shredded doccollaborating because we Americans receive 77 billion pieces uments. also have this problem in “I personally shredded of junk mail annually and an average France where each houseeverything and it took, like, American will spend eight months of hold receives around 40 forever,” she recalls with a his/her life handling junk mail. kilos of junk mail a year,” laugh. said Emeline Eudes, She first used the mail as spokesperson for Les Amis’ part of a performance work titled ”Shredded forest department. Junk Mail With Grand Piano,” in which Chicago “We wanted to show the public, including chilarchitect and musician Edward Torrez played one dren, that they also have the responsibility to say of his compositions while Hashimoto threw ‘stop’ to senders of junk mail and to do somepieces of paper over him and the instrument. By thing for the environment,” she added. the end of the performance both piano and Students of Senn High School in Chicago have pianist were “buried,” showing how junk can sti- also been involved in the Junk Mail Experiment, fle creativity and art, to paraphrase one critic. saving advertising mail received in their houseHashimoto, who studied business at Yale and holds. Their participation has opened their eyes ceramic art in Japan, has also shredded and to environmental issues, says Diane Piette, who
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teaches academic and social issues at the school and helped to set up the exhibitions. “I thought I could incorporate this into my course, and the students have really appreciated it,” she said. “They’ve written some excellent essays on what they can do to protect the environment as a result.” The Paris show is taking place at the Espace Krajcberg, a gallery in the Montparnasse Museum, located in an area on the city’s Left Bank that was once a meeting place for writers, artists, and musicians from all over the world. Hashimoto’s work shares space with the giant treelike sculptures of Frans Krajcberg, a Polishborn, Brazilian-based artist who was a pioneer in environmental issues. “Krajcberg was talking about ecology way back in the ‘60s, before it was fashionable, and so when we created this gallery we wanted to have artists who share that commitment,” said museum coordinator Sonia Legros. “Barbara’s work is in keeping with this.” In fact, Hashimoto’s colorful “haystacks” of shredded mail complement Krajcberg’s somberlooking, dark-hued sculptures. But a day before her installation opened here, one of Krajcberg’s sculptures toppled over, smashing into a wall and just missing stacks of unwanted catalogs meant for the shredder. It was a case of art trying to obliterate junk. © Street papers.org)
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FoodWise with Ginny & Chef J
By Ginny & Chef J StreetWise Contributors (www.ginetics.org, www.researchchefs.us)
Seven Deadly Sins... ...against Health Part 6: Pride ven before Rome was an empire, the wise men of the ancient world wrote of seven .vices. These bad habits were thought to be so detrimental to a person’s lifestyle that they were considered “deadly.” In fact they came to be known as the Seven Deadly Sins. Ginny and the Chef work hard each week to bring you the latest news, tips, and scientific findings about food, health, and fitness, yet the Seven Deadly Sins are still lurking in the shadows. We all need to be aware of these health-destroying bad habits and learn to avoid them! This week we look at one of the most insidious sins: pride. Pride? Some folks shake their heads when we say pride is a deadly sin. We’re supposed to teach our kids to be proud, to tell them that everyone is a winner, because that gives them self-esteem, right? Of course when they grow up it turns out not
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DineWise By Lee Barrie & Cindy Kurman Barrie StreetWise Contributors
Frasca Pizzeria & Wine Bar Lakeview spot gels as a come-as-youare celebration of Italian food & wine The Dunlay Group is a team of ambitious young restaurateurs who, over the past few years, have been making a fine mark on Chicago’s neighborhood restaurant scene. Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar is just one of several casual neighborhood spots that demonstrate Dunlays’ high standards of food, wine and spirits. These guys like their creative comfort food and they also like giving Chicagoans great places to relax and hang out with friends over good food and a nice glass of wine. Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar, in Lakeview, continues Chicago’s welcome trend of offering
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everyone gets to be a winner. In the real world people who study harder and longer get “smarter,” and smarter, more educated people “win,” while those who are less educated tend to “lose.” What they lose is income—being proud won’t help those folks at all. In fact false pride may be what got them where they are—or aren’t—today. Undeserved pride can be deadly. Pride can also lead to something worse: vanity. Vanity has become a cause of major health problems for many young men and women. Eating disorders and disordered eating can be deadly. Vanity has taken many people, young and old, down the slippery slope of intentionally purging after eating, taking copious amounts of laxatives, and exercising until their bodies start to fail them. These misguided people actually make themselves sick in order to lose weight, or to maintain the weight they’ve already lost. How can we help as a society? We need to refocus on what we value, and exploring that question means looking at what matters most in our lives. How much will your life change if you lose that last five pounds? Will it make a difference in how well you perform your duties in school or parent your child? If your health values start from a place of “good” habits, you won’t question whether or not you need to lose those last five pounds—you’ll just do it in a healthy, natural way. Try examining your thoughts about your appearance and how they relate to your overall health and well-being. What are the thoughts going through your mind right before you binge? If you get a handle on those thoughts and feelings and really examine them, that’s when real change will begin. Will you stop yourself 100 percent of the time? Probably not. However, it’s a start, and Ginny and the Chef believe each day is an opportunity to do your best and be the best you can be, so go forward and live the best life you can! Ginny and the Chef’s new children’s book, Wha t Color Is a Pickle Pie?, will be available at Amazon.com starting November 1.
authentic wood-fired pizza in a variety of creative flavor combinations. But more than that, Frasca’s menu offers quite a variety of other Italian dishes. Sharing is a good thing here, since there are so many choices that sampling a few appetizers, entrees and pizzas is part of the fun. The front of the restaurant is designed as a wine bar, with high-top tables and booths, serving the complete menu. The back sections offer booths and table seating in a more traditional restaurant style. The menu is the same either way. We’ve been here many times because of Frasca’s unique combination of classy atmosphere, good food, wonderful wine program and positive vibes. Appetizers start your meal off on a delicious note. Tasty items include the Frasca Fondue, made with Italian Fontina and Reggiano cheeses and served with apples, toasted bread and sopressata. We also like the Wild Mushroom Risotto Fritters, served with a Reggiano Crema. If you want just a taste of the crispy pizza crust, try the Pizza Bianca, fresh baked pizza crust with sea salt and olive oil. On a slightly lighter note are the Chorizo Stuffed Dates wrapped in bacon and the Prosciutto Wrapped Fontina with arugula salad and balsamic. W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G
Chef J’s Secret Recipe: (BFY) Better For You Schnitzel (serves 4)
FoodWise Shopping List: •4 thin boneless pork chops •¼ cup all purpose flour •1 egg lightly beaten •½ cup Panko bread crumbs •1 tablespoon safflower oil •Salt and Pepper to taste
FoodWise Cooking Instructions: •Dredge the chops in flour. •Then dip into egg wash. •Lightly bread both sides with Panko bread crumbs. • Heat non-stick skillet with safflower oil over medium heat. • Allow each side to cook until golden brown. •Plate and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. •Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Salad selections are nicely conceived and very fresh. The Frasca Caprese salad is different, using oven-dried tomatoes rather than fresh ones, and it’s very good, served with fresh mozzarella, basil and aged balsamic. Other nice choices include the Wild Arugula and Fresh Spinach Salad, served with bacon, shaved apples and bleu cheese, and the Infamous Wrightwood Salad: field greens, chicken, tomatoes, craisins, avocado, corn, almonds and fresh goat cheese. If you’re in a pizza mood, you’ll have a delightful time here. The pizzas have a thin, crispy crust and very interesting toppings. We have a few favorites, but all are good. We almost always order the Shrimp and Bacon, a “white” pizza made with Bechamel sauce, mozzarella, wood fired onions, and a drizzling of extra virgin olive oil. Another nice choice is the Rustica, with diced prosciutto, oven dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil pesto. If you’re in a sausage mood, go all the way with the Soprano: hot capicola, sausage, pepperoni, sopressata, mozzarella and red peppers. Cheese lovers will indulge in the Quattro Formaggi, with mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta and provolone cheeses. You can also build your own pizza from a long list of topping choices.
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Reel Chicago
Documentary to look at Arab-American life sama Alshaibi, who made the acclaimed featurelength doc “Nice Bombs,” about his native Iraq, is the recipient of the first Kartemquin Films’ Diversity Fellowship.
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Alshaibi, who was chosen from among dozens of candidates from the Great Lakes region, will receive salary support for his project and access to all of Kartemquin’s facilities and services for one year. The $35,000 value of the Fellowship was underwritten by the Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation. Winning the Fellowship “feels fantastic,” Alshaibi said, calling it “an honor to be working with the talented producers and staff at Kartemquin.” The first step in the Fellowship process will be to secure funding for his project. Grant writing assistance will be provided as part of the Fellowship services. Alshaibi said he was inspired by Kartemquin’s “Hoop Dreams” to become a filmmaker when he first arrived in Chicago 15 years ago. His Fellowship project will be a documentary adaptation of Toufic El-Rassi’s graphic novel, “Arab in America,” in which El-Rassi is the narrator and tour guide. He tells the personal story of a young boy, born in Lebanon and raised in Chicago, and the tensions he faces growing up as an Arab immigrant in the American landscape. Woven between El-Rassi’s painful coming-ofage story are other Arab American stories of
One of the qualities that separate Frasca from competing wood-fired pizzerias is the long list of delicious Italian entrées that are available. All are good, take your pick based on your mood. For pasta dishes, we like Pappardelle Roasted Chicken, fresh herbs in a light chicken broth, topped with garlicherb goat cheese, the Housemade Gnocchi, potato dumplings with pancetta, wild mushrooms and asparagus in an herbed chicken broth and the Rigatoni, sautéed with fennel sausage, spring peas in a light tomato cream sauce. For the non-pasta entrees, we enjoy the Wood Roasted Chicken, a half-chicken served with fingerling potatoes and asparagus, and the Reggiano Crusted Mahi with an herb parmesan crust over roasted asparagus with oven dried tomatoes and a light lemon butter sauce, garnished with fresh basil. Meat lovers will go for the Stuffed Pork Chop, a 10 oz., bone-in chop, stuffed with goat cheese, prosciutto and oven dried tomatoes, topped with au jus and crispy shallots. To add some flare, also don’t forget the luscious sides and desserts. We actually order the roasted artichoke side as an appetizer when it’s on the menu; it’s a great starter. For dessert, we’re stuck
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harassment, racism and scrutiny by federal officials. Alshaibi said he felt the need to make this film because Arab Americans have no authentic voice speaking for them to counteract the painful stereotypes that exist. “Arab Americans represent a demographic of contemporary America that needs a voice and escapulations of recent history,” he said. “The Arab-American experience is not just an immigrant experience, although it is that. It’s a global issue that is affecting everyone. Arabs around the world are facing misrepresentation.” The DVD release of “Nice Bombs,” the doc he produced in 2004, will be celebrated at two free screenings at the Portage theatre Oct. 16, presented by the filmmaker and distributor Cinema Obscura. Alshaibi was born in Baghdad in 1969, lived briefly in Iowa as a child, returned to Iraq, then fled with his family when the Iran-Iraq War broke out. He spent time in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and United Arab Emirates before moving here as a teenager and finally studying film at Columbia College. He has produced some 30 shorts, many of which have exhibited at international film festivals. He is the recipient of a generous 2005 grant from the Creative Capital Foundation for the Arts, a Playboy Foundation Award, and won the Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award. Alshaibi’s e-mail is usama@artvamp.com.
Kartemquin’s first Diversity Fellowship winner Usama Alshaibi
—Tristan Steinfeld
on the Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake and the Hot and Fresh Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts. Last but not least is the exceptional wine list, featuring many wines by the tasting or glass. The Dunlays know their wine very well and they offer a variety of wine flights and pairings. They are more than happy to help you pick out a perfect complement to your meal and, if you just want to savor some appetizers while enjoying a bottle or flight of wine, that’s okay, too. Frasca has a spacious sidewalk café in warm weather months and there are daily deals to check out. The menu changes often to stay seasonal so it’s always an interesting feast. Lift your slice of pizza in one hand and a glass of wine in the other and say “Salute!” Hours: Frasca Pizzeria and Wine Bar 4:30 p.m.-10 p.m., 3358 North Paulina St. Mon.-Thurs.; 4:30 p.m.-11 Chicago, IL 60657 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-11 (773) 248-5222 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-10 www.frascapizzeria.com p.m. Sunday. Brunch is
Pricing: inexpensive to moderate
served Sat. and Sun.
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Cindy Kurman Barrie and Lee Barrie are the principals of Kurman Communications, Inc., a Chicago-based marketing and public relations agency. Please follow all StreetWise restaurant features on Twitter @DineWise and subscribe to the blog at: http://dinewisechicago.blogspot.com. Or visit their blog at gotbuzzatkurman.com
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Accepting, safe
Andersonville: Something for Everyone By Helen Kiernan StreetWise Contributor
t Hamburger Mary's, my bill arrives in a red lady's pump. Even for $8, you certainly get your money's worth with the Mary Burger, a half-pound patty swimming in the mysteriously orange "Mary's Special Sauce.� Upstairs, Mary's Attic hosts cabaret, karaoke, and "episodes" of The Ville, a live soap opera that takes place in Andersonville. Like the neighborhood, many of the characters of the Ville are Gay or Lesbian. "Most people in Andersonville are very accepting of anyone in and all aspects of the LGBT community. This does not mean that everyone in the area is gay or queer, just that it's a safe and accepting ground for the community. I think what lends itself to the queer aspect is the fact that it's a small neighborhood with a large reputation," says Ville writer Maggie Hellwig. The Ville, she says, is sustained by the support of the community. Andersonville boasts perhaps the most eclectic spread of local independent businesses in the city. Here you'll find places like GoFidoGoodFido, where your dog can be taught etiquette and fitness training, and Greensky, an "eco-boutique" that sells earth-friendly goods like scavenger art, purses made of reclaimed kimonos, and recycled toothbrushes. There's also the T-shirt Deli, Alchemy Arts, Tulip Adult Toy Gallery, Johnny Sprocket's Bicycle Shop, and Women and Children First, a feminist and GLBT bookstore currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. Residents are mostly older, established people looking to settle down. Hellwig says that she can't afford to live in Andersonville, where a one bedroom apartment typically rents for over $900 a month, so she lives nearby in Edgewater. She says that "it's unfortunate in terms of class diversity, but the main residents of the neighborhood seem to be pretty well-off." She also expressed concern for the homeless in the neighborhood, saying that "there is no homeless shelter or local food bank due to the fact that it could attract more poverty to the area." Like many Chicago neighborhoods, the exact borders of Andersonville are a matter of debate, the sub-neighborhood of Edgewater lying roughly between Bryn Mawr in the North, Ravenswood to the South, Broadway to the East and Winnemac to the South. The area was established by Swedish immigrants in the 1870s, in part because of an ordinance making it illegal to build wooden homes within the city limits. Remainders of the neighborhood’s heritage can be seen in the presence of the Swedish American Museum and the annual celebration of Midsommarfest, Andersonville's summer street festival, which attracts tens of thousands of revelers yearly. "18 years ago Andersonville was mostly a sleepy stretch of Clark Street," says Michael
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Roper, co-owner (with wife Louise Molnar) of the Hopleaf bar. "Swedish immigration had long since stopped and the remaining Swedes were mostly quite old. There was some drug and gang activity and a few of the taverns were dives that catered to the hard core drunks in the area. Rent was cheap. There were plenty of underutilized spaces.Woman and Children First Bookstore was the real pioneer up here. [Businesses like] the Middle East Bakery, Andies, [and] The Landmark drew other new businesses and slowly the bad bars closed or were purchased, new restaurants and shops opened and the drunks, gang bangers, and drug dealers started to go away. The solid, well kept housing stock attracted families, gay and lesbian couples and people escaping from the crowded, noisy neighborhoods to the south." Since that time, Andersonville has become a popular shopping destination during the day, and a vibrant hotspot at night. Andersonville is home to several theatre companies like the NeoFuturists, Gay and Lesbian bars like Starlight and Atmosphere, restaurants, and art galleries like Morphos and the soon-to-arrive Transistor.
Upcoming Neighborhood Events: St. Morten’s Gos Day - November 21 11 a.m. from Landmark of Andersonville, 5245 N. Clark St.: kick off the holiday season with bellringers, Santa, Sven the Viking and the Red-Nosed Reindog. Late Night Andersonville - December 4 6-10 p.m. Holiday discounts at stores and restaurants, complimentary refreshments and entertainment. Julmarknad - December 5 & 6 Christmas market at S wedish American Museum, sales at various stores, Lakeside Pride Freedom Band playing holiday music.
Ellen Shepard of Andersonville Chamber of Commerce attributes the success of local business in the area to community spirit. She says that not only do people in Andersonville shop local, but that "successful property owners rent to locals. They're not out looking for chains." A 2009 cartographic study commissioned by the Andersonville Development Corporation (ADC) claims that 86% of the neighborhood's businesses are locally owned. Independent business in Andersonville may enjoy rigorous community support, but they are also rigorously taxed. According to Roper, "High property taxes, fees, fines, and excess regulation kill the small independent shopkeeper. Banks and chain stores are much more able to pay the increased cost of doing business in this climate. Milking every penny from the independent entrepreneur can kill the golden goose." Shepard agrees that taxation is a major concern, but adds that "Andersonville has businesses that are smart and creative, and customers who are dedicated, and that's what will make it continue to thrive."
St. Lucia Festival of Lights -December 13 4:45 p.m. Specially chosen Lucia girls lead torch-lit procession down Clark Street, followed by caroling and refreshments at Swedish American Museum, 7 p.m. service at Ebenezer Lutheran Church.
Late-er Night Andersonville December 18 6 to 10 p.m. Holiday discounts at stores and restaurants, complimentary refreshments and entertainment.
April Fools Benefit Bash for ADC April 1, 2010 Bid on live and silent auction items to benefit Andersonville Development Corporation. Andersonville Wine Walk - May 19, 2010 Presented by ADC and In Fine Spirits, you can sample over 60 wines in 20 shops throughout the neighborhood with a notebook to keep track. --Taken from Andersonville.org
Andersonville on Sale - January 22, 2010 6 to 10 p.m. After-holiday sales.
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BARS
Andersonville Restaurant Listings:
Atmosphere Bar 5355 N. Clark atmospherebar.com 773-784-1100 The Call (bar) 1547 W. Bryn Mawr cattlecallchicago.com 773-334-2525 Edgewater Lounge 5600 N. Ashland edgewaterlounge.com 773-878-3343
Lalibela Restaurant (Ethiopian) 5633 N. Ashland lalibelaonline.com 773-944-0585 Anteprima (Italian) 5316 N. Clark anteprimachicago.net 773-506-9990
Farraguts Tavern 5240 N. Clark 773-728-4903
Antica Pizzeria Ristorante 5663 N. Clark anticapizzeriachicago.com 773-944-1492
Hopleaf Bar 5148 N. Clark hopleaf.com 773-334-9851
Calo Restaurant (Italian/pizza) 5343 N. Clark calorestaurant.com 773-271-7725
In Fine Spirits (bar) 5420 N. Clark infinespirits.com 773-334-9463
Konak Pizza and Grill 5150 N. Clark 773-271-6688 Ranalli’s (pizza) 1512 W. Berwyn ranallispizza.com 773-334-1300
Joie de Vine (bar) 1744 W. Balmoral joiedevine.com 773-989-6846 Simon’s Tavern 5210 N. Clark simonstavern.com 773-878-0894 SoFo (bar) 4923 N. Clark sofobar.com 773-784-7636
RESTAURANTS Charlie’s Ale House (American) 5308 N. Clark charliesalehouse.com 773-751-0140
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Pauline’s (diner) 1754 W. Balmoral paulinesbreakfast.com 773-561-8573
Sunshine Cafe (Japanese) 5449 N. Clark 773-334-6214 Jin Ju (Korean) 5203 N. Clark jinjuchicago.com 773-334-6377 Ole Ole (Latin) 5413 N. Clark 773-293-2222 La Cocina de Frida (Mexican) 5403 N. Clark lacocinadefrida.com 773-271-1907
Taste of Lebanon (Middle Eastern) 1509 W. Foster 773-334-1600 Big Jones (Southern) 5347 N. Clark bigjoneschicago.com 773-275-5725 Ann Sather (Swedish) 5207 N. Clark annsather.com 773-271-6677 Svea Restaurant (Swedish diner) 5236 N. Clark 773-275-7738 Tapas Las Ramblas 5101 N. Clark tapaslasramblas.com 773-769-9700 En-Thai-Ce 5701 N. Clark 773-275-3555
Los Arcos (Mexican) 5525 N. Clark 773-334-6450
Hamburger Mary’s (American) 5400 N. Clark hamburgermaryschicago.com 773-784-6969
Andies Restaurant (Middle Eastern) 5253 N. Clark andiesres.com 773-784-8616
JB’s Deli 5501 N. Clark 773-728-0600
M. Henry (American) 5707 N. Clark mhenry.net 773-561-1600
Reza’s Restaurant (Middle Eastern) 5255 N. Clark rezasrestaurant.com 773-561-1898
Piatto Pronto 5624 N. Clark piattopronto.net 773-334-5688
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The Coffee Studio 5628 N. Clark thecoffeestudio.com 773-271-7881 George’s Ice Cream & Sweets 5306 N. Clark georgesicecreamandsweets.com 773-271-7600 Icosium Kafe (crepes) 5200 N. Clark 773-271-5233 Kopi Cafe & Jalan-Jalan Boutique 5317 N. Clark 773-989-5674 Swedish Bakery 5348 N. Clark swedishbakery.com 773-561-8919
CATERING
Noodle Zone (Thai) 5427 N. Clark 773-293-1089
Fireside Restaurant (American) 5739 N. Ravenswood firesidechicago.com 773-878-5942
COFFEE/DESSERT
DELIS Erickson’s Delicatessen 5250 N. Clark 773-561-5634
Conn’s Catering 1535 W. Devon connscatering.com 773-262-2666 Hands Onsite 1480 W. Summerdale handsonsite.com 773-334-5428 My Private Chef myprivatechef.net 773-370-8131
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This Week in Chicago By Suzanne Hanney
NOREAST1.COM
Editor-in-Chief
50 Years Ago
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Looting of homes in the path of the South Side Expressway—now known as the Dan Ryan—would cost taxpayers thousands of dollars, according to the October 26, 1959, Chica go Da ily News. That’s because demolition companies had factored into their wrecking bids the resale of items salvaged from the homes. As the Da ily News visited the area between State and Yale streets, from 63rd to 69th, “more than 50 people were hauling away anything they could rip loose . . . Trucks and cars are backed up to the houses. The thieves take doors, bathtubs, wooden paneling.” In broad daylight, men were illegally removing electric light fixtures. Others took windows and frames, a buffet, a garage, a porch, bathroom fixtures, and 20 feet of pipe. “One man strapped a bathtub to his car and drove away,” the Da ily News reported. “Questioned about the tub, he said,‘My motherin-law needs it.’” A 300-foot section of cable containing 600 copper telephone wires—some still in use— had been removed one night. Overall, losses could reach $500,000, according to a private contractor who toured the area. If the looting didn’t stop, demolition could end up costing the county twice the amount that was bid. The next day, the Da ily News reported that the Chicago Housing Authority would call for bids within a week on 456 new public-housing units at Roosevelt Road and Blue Island Avenue. The high-rises would be the first of four projects in a $123.5 million program announced in
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It’s for his mother-in-law Washington, D.C., the previous month, after Mayor Richard J. Daley protested that the federal government’s “red tape” was delaying the construction of 7,000 units in the city. The CHA would call for bids in one- to two-month intervals on the remaining three projects: •747 units at Lake and Damen, as an extension of Henry Horner Homes; •1,102 units at Ogden and Division; •4,340 units along the west side of State Street between 39th (Pershing Road) and 54th (which became known as the Robert Taylor Homes). The federal government also gave the CHA the go-ahead for construction of 480 units at 38th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. The Sumner Sollitt Co. was awarded the $5.88 mil-
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lion contract; work had begun two weeks earlier. All in all, the CHA’s 7,265 units would cost about $17,000 each. On a lighter note, the October 29 Da ily News described how Chicago’s social elite—“sisters, mothers and other kinfolk”—were now sitting together on the merged boards of Presbyterian and St. Luke’s hospitals, predecessors to today’s Rush Medical Center. “Mrs. Brooks McCormick, for instance, a devoted St. Luke’s member, now works side by side with her pretty sister-in-law, Mrs. Roger McCormick, a Presbyterian supporter.” The McCormick brothers were great-grandnephews of Cyrus McCormick, the inventor of the mechanical reaper, whose work eventually led to the creation of the International Harvester Company in 1902.
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Cover Story
Overcoming Domestic Violence By Stephanie A. Taylor
When it affected my son, I knew I wasn't coming back... I don't care what you do to me, do not mess with my kids.
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StreetWise Contributor
oprice Jones is a 36-year-old certified nursing assistant and mother of two. A couple years ago she met a man, and moved in with him six months later. Shortly afterward, he began to abuse her—not physically, but by verbally, mentally, emotionally, and financially controlling her. “This is a whole different type of abuse,” said Jones, who wrote a book, The Unwa nted Sex (Lumen-us Publications), about being sexually abused at age 13, which impacted her relationship choices and ultimately led to a teen pregnancy. She and her son are now living in their own apartment thanks to Family Rescue Inc., which provides comprehensive support and shelter to women and children who have been victims of domestic violence. Jones’s story is one among thousands in Illinois. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and according to a proclamation by Gov. Pat Quinn, there are 115,000-125,000 similar incidents of violence each year in this state. The health-related costs of domestic violence— rape, physical assault, stalking, and homicide—amount to nearly $6 billion annually in this country, and lost workplace productivity costs hundreds of millions more. Dawn Dalton, executive director of the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network, said her organization has received 32,000 calls so far this year, compared to 21,000 calls last year. CMBWN started up in 1998, and although it began answering calls from all 102 counties in Illinois two years ago, the majority of calls still come from Cook County, Dalton said. Similar to Jones’s situation, most of the calls to the Battered Women’s Network centered on emotional abuse, not the stereotype of physical abuse at the hands of an alcoholic. Ninety-three percent of callers to the Battered Women’s Network and the City of Chicago/State of Illinois Domestic Violence Help Line reported emotional abuse. Joyce Coffee is president of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence and head of the domestic violence constituency group of the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness. She’s also the executive director of Family Rescue Inc., which notes on its Web site that excessive jealousy and control of a partner and his or her finances are just a few of the warning signs of an abusive relationship.
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Cover Story Pictured: Jones and her daughter, Amber Jones, in Family Rescue Inc. apartment with a collage of her goals and her self-empowerment book on earlier life experiences.
Other warning signs include: •making a partner feel embarrassed or criticized; •not liking a partner’s friends or family and discouraging relationships with others; •punishing a partner for being social at events; •blaming a partner for his or her own mistakes; •preventing a partner from going to work or school; •threatening to deport a partner; •abusing a partner’s children or pets; • demanding sex or things of a sexual nature; •physical or sexual assault. “DV is happening in every neighborhood, across all races, ages, and religions,” said Leslie Landis, project director of the Mayor’s Office on Domestic Violence, during a 2007 conference entitled “Business at Its Best: Employers Respond to Domestic Violence.” The conference sought to create a safe and nonjudgmental work environment for employees suffering from domestic violence. Landis repeated her plea during the March 2007 kickoff of a public awareness campaign by the Chicago Foundation for Women. “These women who need help don’t just need a quick fix—they need a continuum of service,” she said. “Very often they are setting up new lives. They have children. “They may even have injuries, both physical and emotional. They need a shelter so they can be safe immediately. They need legal assistance so they can be safe in the long term, and they need counseling as well as advocates to help them navigate the next steps in their lives. Many even need a place for supervised child visitation, because while fathers have a right to see their children, women also have the right to be safe.” Amendments to the Illinois Victims Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA), which Gov. Quinn signed on August 24, expanded Landis’s plea for workplace rights to more people. VESSA allows employees who are victims of domestic or sexual violence—or who have a family or household member who’s a victim of domestic or sexual violence—to seek medical attention, legal assistance, and counseling, with up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave in any 12month period. Illinois is one of 16 states to have statutes or ordinances specifically providing nondiscrimination and/or leave provisions for victims of domestic or sexual violence, according to the Illinois Department of Labor. “As October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the department reminds
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communities that help is available to those who fear losing their jobs because they need to take time off from work to address the domestic violence in their lives,” said Catherine Shannon, director of the Department of Labor. Seventy-three percent of female victims of domestic violence—nearly three out of every four—had two or fewer children, according to the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Apna Ghar (Our Home) started as a domestic violence shelter for South Asian women, but now the Uptown agency assists women of all backgrounds. According to executive director Sharon Kayser, 69 percent of Apna Ghar clients are Asian (originating from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka, as well as the Middle East, Japan, and China), 11 percent are African-American, 9 percent are Caucasian, and 11 percent are unknown or mixed. “I think that is because over the years the name of Apna Ghar has really spread, [and] our agency has become more and more well-known and connected in the domestic violence community and the social service arena,” said Binda Mangattukattil, a therapist at Apna Ghar. Apna Ghar provides temporary and transitional housing, food, and clothing for children as well as legal advocacy, case management advocacy, and supervised child visitation. During a recent food pantry day, supplies were exhausted in 45 minutes because of the adverse economy, Mangattukattil said. Simultaneously, state budget cuts cost the agency $30,000 in the past fiscal year. Apna Ghar had to let go of some of its part-time staff; it also closed its thrift store, which was part of its economic empowerment program. Additionally, its Sewing Empowers Women (SEW) program provided sewing classes for the clients, who were paid for their time. When Mangattukattil was asked whether or not the recession may have helped increase domestic violence statistics, she responded, “I think this current recession that we’ve seen in our country this year . . . can certainly exasperate domestic violence, but I think the numbers we’ve seen are the numbers we’ve always seen. Domestic violence is a social epidemic.” Coprice Jones’s case fits the “social epidemic” scenario because, as she acknowledges now, the perpetrator himself was sexually abused during childhood. She was verbally abused, insulted, and called derogatory names by her partner. “Whatever the situation or confrontation was, W W W. S T R E E T W I S E . O R G
PHOTOS BY SUZANNE HANNEY
[he took the position that] it was always my fault,” Jones said. The turbulent relationship made her so depressed, she requested to be medicated with antidepressants. “When he got home from work, the only thing I wanted to do was sleep. It took me into another level of depression.” Her partner controlled all the money and would give her limited amounts if he approved of what she was going to do with it. He would look in her purse, and if she had extra money he’d interrogate her. Getting her hair done would trigger his controlling behavior, as would men looking at her. If she went to church or wore perfume, that would also set him off. He checked her cell phone and voice-mail messages. He’d call her friends to see what they had talked about together. “He had a jealous spirit,” Jones said. Her older daughter was at college in Michigan during the relationship, and her younger son Issiah Rushing, was with his grandmother, also in Michigan, six months out of the year. The abuse really started to escalate when Jones’s son came back to live with her. He was actually jealous of the relationship between my son and myself,” Jones said. Her partner started to verbally assault her son, who was six years old at the time. “And so at the time those words hurt more than any fist that can hit you,” Jones said. The breaking point came when he called her son a “mama’s boy” and said he would grow up to be gay. “I just pushed him so hard . . . it looked like I was going to kill him.” He called the police, and the cops escorted mother and son away from the scene. “When it affected my son, I knew I wasn’t coming back,” Jones says now.“I don’t care what you do to me, [but] do not mess with my kids.”
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Crossword
“ all the brilliance that will fit”
Dear Eugene, As you know, the colder season is upon us. I just moved to town and am a first time home-owner. I want to make sure that I have everything weather-proofed in time. Any hints? —Handyman Dear Handyman, Welcome to Chicago! Out of all the headless advice columnists, you picked me? I’m deeply touched. Now lookit, you need to grow yourself a lush, neatly-trimmed beard (Think more Kenny Logg ins than Ernest Hemmingway). It is a scientific fact that having the proper beard makes house repair and maintanance up to 40% easier. Not growing a beard would be like running a marathon without stretching—it can be done, but it isn’t pretty. For an additional man-powerup, pair said lush face with a utility vest with things attached to it. There’s no stopping what you can accomplish, unless you get so carried away in accessorizing that you miss winter altogether. Dear Eugene, What’s the best way to stay warm this winter? —Under the Weather Dear Winterhater, Why, by the very same means that one stays warm every winter. Is this seriously your first time? If you are not yet a year old, I applaud your mastery of the King’s English, but if not, I’m afraid I have no choice but be insulted by your question. Now, being a benevolent and kind person when I feel like it, I will answer your question through teeth clinched out of love for my fellow man. The best way to stay warm is to not be cold. To not be cold you should wear things. Not warm enough? Wear more things. Still not warm enough? Wear the skin of a yak or a polar bear. PETA will hate you for it, but if you really are cold enough to wear musty yak pelts you should have moved to the tropics a long time ago. You can send Eugene your questions at 1201 W. Lake, Chicago, IL, 60607 or e-mail him at supreme_eugene@yahoo.com.
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Vendor Photo Essay by Robert Qualls By Ben Cook StreetWise Staff
obert Qualls just returned from his first vacation in 20 years thanks to one of his customers. This customer, a member of the Chicago Cubs, makes sure that Robert has tickets for every home game during the regular season. Recently, this member was even more charitable than usual, and offered Robert game and plane tickets to a 3-game series in San Francisco. Robert paid for his hotel arrangements, and took advantage of the city’s efficient public transportation. “It was awesome—the best time I’ve ever had. The ballpark was very beautiful. Fisherman’s Wharf was outstanding.” In addition to the wharf, Robert was intrigued by the sidewalks so steep that they were stepped, public restrooms, and the battleships docked in the bay. He took pictures of poverty in San Francisco, and he bought a street newspaper from a vendor, San Francisco’s Street Sheet. “It felt really good to be on the other side, and to be able to support that vendor.” “San Francisco is breath-taking. It’s really a tourist attraction—if you go there you feel like you’ve been all over the world. Everybody’s so friendly—I didn’t hear a person say a bad word the whole time I was there. It’s really inviting. It’s a place that I would like to go back and visit sometime. Next time he wants to visit the zoo, and Alcatraz. To his customers he would like to say, “Thank you to all my customers in the Roscoe Village community for being so supportive and allowing me to do this.”
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